Audiovisual education or experience entails the simultaneous utilization of the visual and auditory factors and educators have discovered that the simultaneous exercise of these faculties results in greater progress by a child or other individual utilizing facilities embodying the capability of simultaneously presenting visual images and auditory input.
This is particularly true in the education of underprivileged children, young children and children suffering from various forms of inadequate visual or auditory response.
Various types of devices have been provided in the prior art to accomplish the audiovisual exposure of individuals including, at one end of the spectrum, expensive electronic teaching equipment intended for intensive use in schools and other institutions of learning and, at the other end of the spectrum, phonograph records presented in conjunction with printed material corresponding to the auditory input of the phonograph records.
Also provided by the prior art are various forms of talking books including books having a phonograph envelope incorporated therein; books having a receptacle for a relevant tape cassette; and books incorporating a specialized form of playback device adapted to receive an especially designed tape cassette.
One of the major disadvantages encountered with the record type of talking books is the necessity for a separate record player whose utilization and operation entail relative sophistication on the part of the child utilizing the record type talking book. This objection also applies to the tape cassette type talking book wherein the tape must be utilized in conjunction with a separate tape playing device of conventional construction and relative sophistication. In addition, there is the added factor of the considerable expense of such conventional types of tape players.
Finally, the special device incorporating a built-in tape player in the book and a specially designed and constructed tape cartridge adapted to be utilized in conjunction with said player poses both problems of expense and utilization since extensive manipulation of the tape player and special tape in conjunction with a specific book is entailed, activities which are frequently beyond the manipulative skills of very young, underprivileged or handicapped children.